Motor.



No. 741,325. PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903.

S. A. G'IBBS. MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5,l 1903,

N0 MODEL. 5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 741,325. PATBNTED 00in-13,1903. s. A. GIBBs. MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5,1903.

N0 MODEL. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PATBNTBD 00T. 13. 190s.

S. A. GIBBS. MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 190s.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTBD OCT. 13, 1903.

S. A. GIBBS.

MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 5, 190s.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0 MODEL.

Patented October 13, 1903.

ernster @Ferca SABIN A. GIBBS, OF TACOMA, WTASHINGTON.

MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,325, dated October13, 1903.

Application filed January 5, 1903. Serial ll'o. 137.905. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, SABINA. GIBBs, a citizenot the UnitedStates,i'esiding at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State ofVtashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMotors; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in motors, and particularly toelectrically-operated devices; and it consists in a motor comprising anumber ot' coils and a rotating member arranged to travel through saidcoils, means extending through the said coils for guiding and supportingthe rotating member, together With means for energizing the coils atsuitable times to cause the rotation ot' such member.

It further consists in a motor which is essentially a solenoid-motor,being provided with a number of hollow coils and having a circular coreor plunger traveling through the said hollow coils, a track for saidcore passing through said coils, the said plunger being actuated by theenergizing of one or more of the coils successively, and means fortransmitting motion from the said core or plunger to any suitable pointforoperating other devices.

It further consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations,and arrangements of parts, as Will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation ot a 'motorconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an end or edgeview of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofthe traveling core orplunger. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional View through a portionof said core and illustrating the mannerin which it passes through acoil as well as showing the means engaging the periphery of the core foroperating other mechanisms. Fig. 5is a side elevation of the commutatormechanism, showing the brushes engaging the same. Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view through the brush supporting mechanism and a part of thegoverning device. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing the meansofinsi'llatingthc lnush-snpportingring. Fig.

8 is an edge View of the commutators, brush mechanism, and `governingdevice. Fig. 9 is a perspective View of one of the coils, a portion ofthe traveling core and its track being shown as extending through saidcoil. Fig. 10 is a detail transverse sectional view through the core,taken on the line of the axis of one of its pairs of bearing-rolls andshowing the ball-bearings used with the same.

The present invention is directed toward, the production ot motors whichare so constructed as to utilize the principle of the solenoid. I amaware that this principle has been used to some extent for the purposeof producing motors; but they have been more or less imperfect and notvery practical. By the present invention I am enabled to secure powerfulaction from an apparatus based on the solenoid principle and yet producea simple motor which is capable of developing power for variouspurposes.

The motor is made up of a series of actuating-coils, as l, which areprovided with central apertures and so arranged that atraveling core orplunger 2 can pass through them. The number of coils employed isdetermined by the strength of the motor desired. The coils are arranged,preferably, radially with respect to the center of the machine and thecenter of motion ofthe core 2 and are supported upon a central spider orframe 3. This spider is provided with a suitable number of radiatingarms,which extend outwardly to a point near the core 2. Plates, as ft,may be interposed between the arms and the spider 3 for holding 'theinner edges of the coils in proper position, while the outer edges ofthe said coils may be braced or secured at a proper position withrespect to each other by other braceplates, as 5. The outer ends ofthe-spider 3 also carry a track or guide mechanism fordirecting themovement and properly supporting in position the traveling core 2. Thetrack is preferably made in a simple manner and may consist of one ormore flat bars or bent rods 7, extending in a curved manner aroundthrough the apertures 8 of the coils. The tracks 7 are held againstlateral displacement at the ends of the spider-arms by means of blocks9, which are rigidly secured to said arms on the outer sides of the Thespider 3 is supported by a shaft tracks.

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10, which preferably projects in both directions therefrom and issupported outside the coils upon standards 11 and 12. These standardssupport the machine in proper position. The shaft 10 of course docs notrotate nor does the spider 3, which is mounted thereon.

The core or traveling plunger 2 is provided with means for impartingmotion to a commutator mechanism for controlling the application ofenergy to the coils and is also provided with suitable means by which itis able to impart motion or power to other machinery. The means shown inthe drawings as one simple manner of delivering power from the plungerto other mechanisms consists in a belt 13, which engages an annularrecess 14, formed upon the outer periphery of the core 2. This beltpasses almost entirely around the core, so as to engage the surface ofthe said core in a manner to prevent slipping between the core and belt.The belt reaches the core by entering through aspace between adjacentcoils l of the machine, being guided in such entrance by a suitablepulley 15. The belt leaves the core and passes out of the machine atanother point between the coils 1, being guided ,in its exit by pulleys16 and 17. Both the pulleys 16 and 17 and lthe pulley 15, above referredto, are mounted upon studs supported by a framing or plate 2l, which issecured to the standard 12 and passes down between the edges of thecoils and the said standard, as shown in Fig. 1. While the belt may becaused to enter the machine and pass to the traveling core at any point,yet experience shows that by passing the belt into the core at one side,as illustrated in Fig. 1, the tight or pulling side of the belt willtend to support to some extent the Weight of the traveling core andreduce its friction in moving over its track and through the coils,while by passing the loose side of the belt out of the top of themachine the belt simply acts upon the core enough at the top to preventany possibilityof the belt slipping with respect to the core.

'lo still further render the movement of the traveling core free fromneedless friction, the said core is provided with supporting-wheels, as18. These wheels are arranged in countersunk recesses 19 upon oppositesides of the core, so that they do not project beyond the side surfacesof said core and will therefore offer no obstruction in passing theblocks 9 as the core passes around upon the spider. The supportingantifrictionwheels 18 are arranged to engage the tracks 7 and travelthereon, thus minimizing the friction between said tracks and the core.The antifriction-wheels 18 are preferably arranged in pairs, beingconnected by suitable shafts 20, which extend through bearings in thebodyof the core. Of course it will be understood that I may useantifriction ballbearings or other devices for still further reducingthe friction of these moving parts, if desired. The periphery of thccore 2 also carries a circular rack 22, which is engaged by a pinion 23,carried by a shaft 2st. The shaft 24: is supported by an arm 25 of theplate 21 and also by a suitable bearing 26 of a standard 27. This shaftand pinion may also be used for communicating motion and power from themovable core to other mechanism. As illustrated in the drawings, it mayalso be employed for operating a commutator mechanism for regulating theflow of electrical current through the various coils surrounding thecore, energizing the proper ones at the proper time. For this purposethe shaft 24: also carries a pinion 28, preferably of the same size asthe pinion 23, which meshes with the teeth of a gear-wheel 29,preferably of the same size and diameter as the circular rack upon theperiphery of the movable core or plunger 2. By this means the saidgear-wheel is always caused to move with exactly the same speed as thecore 2. The gear-wheel 29 is carried by a shaft 30, mounted in suitablebearings, which shaft 30 supports a comlnutator mechanism 31, as will behereinafter more fully described.

In order to enable the electrically-actuated coils of the motor toimpart movement to the traveling core 2, the said core is peculiarlyconstructed. It is made up of a number of sections, some of which arecapable of being attracted by the coils when energized, while othersections are not affected by the energizing of the said coils. The coremay be provided with any number of such active sections as well as anynumber of inactive sections; but for the sake of illustration I haveshown in the drawings, as more particularly illustrated in Fig. 3, thesaid plunger2 composed of two oppositely-arranged active sections 32 andalso two intervening inactive sections 33, making up the entire ring ofthe core. lVhen making the core of only two active sections, Ipreferably form the said sec tions 32 of greater length than theinactive sections 33. Such active sections 32 are prefer* ably formed ofsoft iron or similar material, upon which the energized coils will actwith a strong attraction, while the other sections, 33, may be made ofbrass or other non-magnetic substance. With the core thus constructed itwill be seen that if some of the coils of the motor are energized by anelectrical current, the said coils being near one end of one of thesoft-iron sections 32, they will attract the said section and tend todraw it within them. As soon as the section has passed into these coilsother coils in front of it are then energized by the action of thecommutator to further draw the soft-iron core and thus continuouslyaround the circular bearing to give the said core a definite and regularmovement. Of course at the same time that some of the coils areoperating upon one end of one of the magnetic sections 32 of thecoreother coils will be energized simultaneously for acting upon thecorresponding IOO IOS

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end of other soft-iron or magnetic sections of the core. It will thus beevident also that by increasing the number of sections 32 and arrangingthe commutator so as to energize the coils at more frequent intervals agreater pull can be exerted upon the same for increasing the power andefficiency of the machine, all within the spirit of the invention. Theprinciple, however, is fully illustrated as now shown in the drawings,the action being the same whether there are two or more magneticsections in the core.

In order to control the energizing of the coils 1, each coil iselectrically connected with a brush, as 34, which is secured to asupporting-ring 35. The ring 35 is mounted upon a frame or spider 36,carried by the shaft 39, and is prevented in any suitable manner fromturning upon said shaft. The brushes 34 are supported on the ring bymeans of arms or bars 37, projecting from said ring, so that the brushesoverhang the periphery of the adjacent commutator mechanism 3l. Thebrushes are adjustably supported in any usual and well-known manner formaintaining their proper engagement with the periphery of thecommutator. The commutator mechanism preferably consists of twocommutator-rings 38 and 39. The ring 38 is designed for causing themotor to travel in one direction, while the ring 39 is arranged to causethe reversal of the motor. The commutators 38 and 39 are splined to theshafts 39, so as to turn therewith, and are capable of movement back andforth thereon for bringing one or the otherinto engagement with thebrushes. Such movement may be produced by the operation of a lever, as40, or in any other desired manner. Each commutator is formed with abody-wheel portion 41, upon the periphery of which body portion areactive and insulated sections 42 and 43. W'hen the brushes engage theactive sections 42,a circuit will be completed through the coilsconnected with those particular brushes, the said current also passingthrough the body portion 4l of the commutator, the shaft 30, and itssupporting-standard to the ground. The brushes, however, which are inengagement with the insulated sections 43 will not be able to complete acurrent, and their respective coils will remain denergized. The sections43 have a strip of insulation 44 interposed between them and theperiphery of the body portion 4l, and the screws which hold them inposition thereon are also insulated from said body portion, as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 5. The active sections 42 are made of sufficientlength to always keep a suitable number of coils energized in front ofthe movement of the core-sections upon which the coils are operating.While the sections can be made of any length so as to engage one or moreof the brushes at any time, yet in the machine constructed like thatillustrated in the drawings it is preferable to always have about four,of such brushes engaging one ci the sections 42, while at least two areengaging the other section. At other positions of the commutator threeof the brushes will be engaging each of the sections 2, so that aboutsix of the wires will thus be always energized in a machine of theconstruction and dimensions shown. Of course these dimensions can bevaried in accordance with the power and style of the machine withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. It is necessary, of course,to leave a suitable gap or space, as 45, between the ends of the activeand inactive sections 42 and 43 of the commutator, and in order to makea smooth passage for the brushes from one to the other a bridging-block46 is arranged in the said space, which is also insulated from thewheel-body 4l and is likewise separated by a short space from each ofthe sections 42 and 43. By this means, while the brush can pass smoothlyover the end of one section to the block 46, it cannot carry a currentinto the same, since the block is insulated, and the block is also soshort that only one brush can touch the same at a time. If the end ofthe inactive section 43 was close to an active section 42, an unevenmovement would be given to the motor, since when the brush is passedover from the active section 42 upon the end of the inactive section 43the inactive section would be momentarily thrown into the circuit andall the brushes engaging the same would likewise receive a portion ofthe current, and for an instant all the coils connected with saidbrushes would be energized and then cut out again, so that a jerkymovement would be imparted to the motor. The use of wide spaces betweenthe sections 42 and 43, together with the intervening small blocks 46,obviates any such difficulty. The commutator 39 is practically the sameas the commutator 38; but their positions dider with respect to theshaft 30, so that the brushes engaging the same will be energized tomove the core in opposite directions. The movement of the commutators ofcourse always has a fixed relation to thev movement of the core 2because of the gearing 23, 28, and 29. In the use of a motor it isalways necessary to be able to govern the amount of current passed tothe same in accordance with the load which the motor is carrying, andfor this purpose a ring 47 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 30 andslidable longitudinally thereon, the said ring carrying a series oflaterallyextending contact arms or bars 48. These bars are of differentlengths and are designed to operate in conjunction with correspondingbars 49, carried by the other ring, 35. rlhe bars 49 may also be made ofvarying lengths or all of the same length, if desired. However, eitherthe bars 48 or the bars 49 must be of varying lengths, so that when thering 47 is brought toward the other ring, 35, the longest bar 48 willengage its corresponding bar 49, thus communicating a current to thesaid ring' 35, which is distributed to all the brushes. To increase thepower of this cur- IOO IIO

rent, ring 47 is still farther pushed toward the ring 35, so as to bringsome of the contacts 48 into engagement with the contacts 49. In thismanner the strength of the current delivered to the brush-ring can becontrolled toa nicety. The bars 48 are of course thoroughly insulatedfrom the ring 47, as clearly shown in Fig. G. So, also, the bars areinsulated from the ring 35, and the arms carrying the brushes 34 arelikewise insulated from said ring, but are electrically connected Withtheir proper bars 49. The ring 35 may be insulated from the shaft 30, asshown in Figs. 5 and 7, if desired. The ring 47 may be moved by anysuitable lever, as 50, which may be operated by hand or by a governor,in which latter case the movement ofthe ring 47 Will of course begoverned automatically by the speed with which the motor is actuated. InWiring the motor a common feedwire, as 51, leads from any suitablesource of electricity to a suitable point adjacent to the coils l and abranch wire is led therefrom to each of said coils. A separate wire thenconnects each of the coils with each of the bars 48 on the governor-ring47, and when said bars are all in engagement with their correspondingcontacts 49 all ot' the brushes are connected with their respectivecoils and ready for producing the actuation of said coils under thecontrol of the commutator. If the speed of the machine is too greatbecause of the lightening ot the load or the in crease of power, thering 47 will be moved away from the ring 35, so that some of thecontacts 48 and 49 Will be disengaged, and some of the brushes Will thusbe cut off from their respective coils, and a less number of coils willtherefore be energized for directing the traveling core 2. If it shouldbe desired to govern the movement of the motor in some other manner thanthat described, the wires from the coils would be connected directlyWith the brushes. The current passes from the brushes, as aboveintimated, though the sections 42 of thecOmmutators to the shaft 30 andthence to the ground. From the ground the current is returned throughthe Wire 51, leading to the coils again.

Although I have illustrated and described my invention as applied to amachine like that shown in the drawings, of course I Wish it clearlyunderstood that I may vary the parts ofthe machine,the number of coils,and the number of sections in the traveling core, as well as the numberof sections in the commutator, Without departing in the least from thespirit of the present invention. I also Wish itunderstood that I maytake power from the traveling core either through a belt in the mannersimilar to that described or from the shaft 24 and the gearing in anywell-known or desired manner. While I have shown the motor provided withcoils in groups some of Which are wider apart than others, yet it willbe understood that I can have all of the coils the same distance apartand arrange the belt in a different manner, the said belt approachingand leaving the core through apertures formed in the coils, ifnecessary, all within the spirit of this invention.

I contemplate running the commutator in oil to prevent, if possible, allsparking, il' found desirable.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A motor, comprising a series of coils, a traveling core passingthrough said coils, means passing through said coils for guiding thesaid core, and means for energizing one or more of the coilssuccessively to continue the motion of the core, substantially asdescribed.

2. A motor, comprising a series of coils having central apertures,a coretraveling through the center of said coils, means extending through thecoils t'or guiding and supporting said core, means for continuallyenergizing some of the coils in advance of certain sections oi` the coreto exert a continual pull upon the same, and means for taking power fromthe periphery ot the said core, substantially as described.

A motor, comprising a series of coils, a circular, continuous corepassing through all of said coils, means extending through the coils andbetween them for guiding and sup porting the said core, and means forener-v gizing the coils successively in front of certain sections of thecore to keep it in motion, substantially as described.

4. A motor, comprising a series of hollow coils, a circular or ring corepassing through the center of said coils, means extending through thecores for guiding the core properly in its movement through the coils,means for energizing the coils in correspondence with the action of thecore, and means for taking power from the moving core withoutinterfering with its action or with the coils, substantially asdescribed.

5. A motor, comprising a series of hollow coils, arranged in a ring,means for rigidly supporting the same in position, a track extendingthrough the centers of the coils, and a core running upon the saidtrack, together with means for energizing the coils in accordance withthe movement ofthe core, substantially as described.

6. A motor, comprising a series of coils having central apertures,tracks extending through said apertures, a ring core traveling on saidtrack, Wheels supporting the said ring upon the said track, and meansengaging the periphery of t-he ring for communicating its motion toother mechanism, substantially as described.

7. A motor, comprising a series of coils having central apertures,a coretraveling through the same, a continuous guiding and support ing meansfor the core extending through the coils, said core being formed ofactive and inactive sections, and means for energizing one IOC.

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or more of the coils ahead of the active sections to rotate the saidcorel-ing, substantially as described.

8. A motor, comprising a series of hollow coils, a ring core passingthrough said coils, a continuous track for said core extending throughall the coils, means for energizing the coils so as to rotate the core,a belt engaging the said core, the said belt passing in at one side ofthe machine and out from the core at another point, the pull ot' thebelt tending to reduce the friction of the core-ring by supporting someof its weight, substantially as described.

9. A motor, comprising aseries of hollow magnetic coils, a ring coretraveling through the same, a continuous track extending through andbetween said coils for supporting and guiding the core and meansengaging the periphery of said ring for operating shafting, the saidshafting extending to a suitable point for actuating other mechanism,substantially as described.

10. A motor, comprising a number of solenoid-coils, a continuous core orplunger traveling through said coils, a guiding and supporting trackover which said core travels, a rack or gear on` the periphery of saidcore, gearing meshing with the said rack for imparting movement to othermechanism, and a commutator operated by said gearing for controlling theapplication of electrical energy to the solenoid-coils, substantiallyvdescribed.

ll. A motor, comprising a number of solenoid-coils, a traveling core orplunger moving through Vthe said coils, means for supporting the core atevery point in its path through the coils, gearing engaging andreceiving movement from the said core, a commutator oper ated by thesaid gearing, a series of brushes connected with the solenoidcoils, theaction of the commutator being such as to energize the coils in advanceof the magnetic sections of the core, substantially as described.

l2. A motor, comprising a series of solenoid-coils, a frame supportingthe same, arms extending from said frame between the coils, trackssecured to the ends of said arms, a core traveling upon said track,wheels supporting the said core upon the track, the said wheels beingcountersunk in the side surfaces of the core so as to not offerobstruction to anything outside the core, and means for energizing thesolenoids to actuate the said core, substantially as described.

13. A motor comprising a series of coils, a core traveling through thesame and provided with a belt-engaging portion ena part of itsperiphery, a gear also upon the periphery of said core to one side ofthe belt-engaging portion thereof, means for receiving motion from thecore both from the belt-engaging portion and from the said rack or gear,and means for energizing the coils so as to cause the rotation of thetraveling core, substantially as described.

llt. A motor, comprising a series of solenoid-coils, a ring coretraveling through the same, a commutator for controlling the action ofthe core, mechanism connecting the traveling core With the saidcommutator, the com mutator having two sections for causing the core totravel in opposite directions, brushes for engaging the commutators, thesaid brushes being connected with the solenoids, and means for movingthe commutatorsections back and forth beneath the brushes for reversingthe movement ofthe motor, substantially as described.

l5. A motor, comprising a series of hollow solenoid-coils, a coretraveling through the same, a commutator for controlling the action ofthe solenoids, the said commutator having active sections in circuit andinsulated sections, a considerable gap being left between the active andinactive sections, and a bridging-block inserted in said gap andinsulated from the commutator for properly carrying the brushes from theactive to the inactive sections without communicating current to saidinactive sections, substantially as described.

lG. A. motor, comprising a series of solenoid-coils, a core travelingthrough the same, a commutator for controlling the action of thesolenoids, brushes engaging the commutator, a controlling mechanism,comprising a ring carrying a series of contacts,contacts proj ectingfrom each of the brushes, the contacts carried by the ring beingconnected with each of the solenoids, and means for moving the said ringso as to bring its contacts into or out of engagement with one or moreor all of the said brush-contacts in accordance with the load and speedof the motor, substantially as described.

17. A motor, comprising a series of solen oid-coils, a core travelingthrough the same, a commutator,brushes engaging the said commutator, abrush being provided for each solenoid-coil, contact-points projectingfrom each brush, a controlling member carrying contacts of differentlengths, means for moving` the governor member back and forth so thatsome or all of its contacts may engage some or all of the contacts ofthe brushes, the contacts of the governor member being electricallyconnected with each of the solenoids, substantially as described.

18. ln a motor, the combination with a series of solenoid-coils, atraveling core passing through the same, a track guiding the said core,wheels supporting the said core upon the said track, and ball-bearingsinterposed between the said Wheels and the core for preventing unduefriction in the movement of the said core, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

SABIN A GIBBS.

Witnesses:

E. S. Pnnnrrcn, ELLIS Lnwis GARnnfsoN.

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